GEORGE TOWN: This time of year, 71-year-old Lee Swee Hun leads her family – including children and grandchildren – in rolling tang yuan (glutinous rice balls served in syrup) to celebrate the cherished Winter Solstice Festival.
And this simple nod to tradition fills her kitchen with laughter, warmth and a deep sense of family bonding.
For Lee, this annual tradition is her heartfelt way of passing on a rich heritage to younger generations, one rice ball at a time.
“It’s a symbol of unity and love passed down through the years,” she shared, her eyes gleaming with pride.
Each year, Lee gathers her family at their home in Tanjung Bungah to shape the colourful tang yuan.
Joining her this year were her daughter Ong Siew Poh, 44, and youngest son Ong Chee Eng, 36, along with grandchildren Kang Tey Seng, 14, Kang Jia En, 12, and Johnas Ong Sin Keong, five.
Together, they spent about two hours around the dining table rolling the vibrant rice balls before arranging them neatly on trays.
A portion was then cooked in sweet syrup and ginger soup.
Lee said she first learnt from her elders about making tang yuan as a child.
“It is an occasion that we look forward to.
“The glutinous rice flour is mixed with colours and natural flavours such as pandan.
“Then, everybody would gather around the table and roll them into tiny balls.
“Once cooked, we would share the dessert and both my children would take some home for prayers,” she said.
Back in the day, Lee said they used a stone grinder to mill glutinous rice into flour.
“Today, the flour is conveniently available for purchase, which has certainly made things easier.
“But the most important part is the precious time we spend together, gathering as a family for this reunion.
“Never once in all these years have we bought tang yuan from shops. They are all made with love and care at home,” said Lee, whose friend Datuk Ooi Siew Kim also joined them in rolling the rice balls.
In ancient times, the festival or Dong Zhi used to mark the time for the Chinese to store their harvest and prepare for winter.
Today, it has become a time for thanksgiving as Chinese families reflect on the blessings of the past year and pray for prosperity in the next.
The tang yuan, symbolising wholeness, unity and harmony, are offered to deities and ancestors during prayers.
The Winter Solstice Festival is celebrated today.
